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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27414706">a new home (a new hope)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeeperofSeeds/pseuds/KeeperofSeeds'>KeeperofSeeds</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>femslashficlets - queer women’s lit [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Frostpunk (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blanket Permission, Cold Weather, Comfort, F/F, Femslash, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Lesbian Character, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Sharing a Bed, Strangers to Lovers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 22:53:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>805</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27414706</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeeperofSeeds/pseuds/KeeperofSeeds</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Mary's tent collapses. A stranger, Emilia, offers her a place to stay. Mary surprises herself at how easily they fall together.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Original Female Character/Original Female Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>femslashficlets - queer women’s lit [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1596880</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>a new home (a new hope)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For prompt 5- Then they took the last step together, and when she kissed her, her mouth as warm as summer, the taste of her sweet and clear, she knew, at last, that she was home. Malinda Lo, Ash</p>
<p>I didn't finish this challenge in time but still have a few ficlets I'd started, so I figured I would continue them just for fun.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Every day is struggle. A struggle to stay warm, to push through the snow and ice and get to work. It’s a struggle to save men and women with such meager supplies as they have, to watch workers lose toes or legs to frostbite and not have anything more she can do to help except bring them another cup of soup. That at least stays warm on the short trip from the cookhouse to the clinic. </p>
<p>Every day is a new struggle, Mary thinks again, looking down at the ruins of her collapsed tent. <br/>
She sleeps that night curled up next to one of the innermost vents. The sound of more coal being added wakes her more than once, but no one comes close to the vent she's claimed.  </p>
<p>She puts the word out during her next shift, asks the nurses to spread word of anyone willing to take her in. Dinner comes and goes and Mary goes to gather food for their patients.  She returns to see a large woman, broad hands and shoulders like the blacksmiths standing in the entryway of the Medical building. <br/>
"I'm Emilia," she says, and then, "I heard you needed help."</p>
<p>"You work at the kitchens" she blurts out, suddenly remembering where she’s seen her before. The woman laughs and confirms it. They must have passed by each other on their journey here. </p>
<p>"It's good work for a woman like me," she says, and Mary eyes the width of her shoulders and silently agrees. "I have space," Emilia says, and tells Mary of her new house, located in the second ring. "If you don't mind tight quarters, I'm willing to share," she says. </p>
<p>Mary almost drops the soup she's carrying in her hast to agree.  <br/>
 <br/>
The town whistle blows, signaling the start of the next shift and Mary knows she should get back to work, should hand out the rations she's brought. Before she can turn, Emilia reaches out a hand and brushes off the small patches of snow that have taken up in Mary’s braids in the walk from the cook house. </p>
<p>"Meet me outside the kitchen after the next shift and I’ll show you home," she says. Then she turns and strides away. Mary watcher her stride through the snow and slowly growing crowd of people gathering to head out to the mines and wrecks for the evening. </p>
<p>She feels jittery the darker it falls, and by the time her shift ends she feels like she's vibrating out of her skin. The cold as she makes her way to the cook house steadies her a little. She's glad she won't be spending another night at the vents. Grateful that a stranger is so willing to help her </p>
<p>She spots Emilia outside the kitchens, her blonde hair tucked under a hat. Her smile is bright in the growing darkness and Mary feels the jittery feeling under her skin begin to fade away. Emilia holds out a hand, and Mary takes it, suddenly sure in this course of action. She follows Emilia home, takes in the broom leaning against the entry, the small fireplace, the single bed, the quilt folded at the end, and she feels safe for the first time in many weeks. Emilia points out the chest with extra clothes in it and insists Mary take anything she should need. At least until they can find the time to return to her tent and dig out anything of hers that survived the collapse. Mary gratefully takes a new pair of socks to replace her own, before sliding into the bed in the space Emilia has left for her on the left side. The quilt is heavy and the space beneath is grows warm with two bodies sharing the space.</p>
<p>They lie together in the dark for long slow moment before Mary turns her head. "Thank you," she whispers, and feels a cool hand brush against hers under the covers. "Your welcome." Emilia replies, and Mary lets herself relax. Let's herself hope and want. She turns on her side and grabs at the hand brushing hers, draws it around to rest against her stomach. Emilia lets herself be drawn closer in the dark. Lets her bulk curl close against Mary's back. Let's Mary take this comfort as she drifts off to sleep. </p><hr/>
<p>The next morning Mary and Emilia walk the narrow path back to the first ring and Emilia sees Mary off to work with a kiss to the forehead, the only bit of flesh visible above Mary’s layer of (borrowed) scarves. </p>
<p>Mary flushes and the sight of Emilia’s smile in return is enough to keep her warm throughout the entire morning shift. After all, the afternoon whistle will come soon, and so will the chance to see Emilia again. </p>
<p>She thinks she could get use to this.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I am terrible at this game so far but I absolutely love the concept and the world building.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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